It took the worst corporate scandal in automotive history for Volkswagen to make the necessary decision to transform itself into an electric car company. The world’s largest car maker will spend $50 billion over the next five years to develop 50 new electric models, an increase from six today, and produce 1 million electric cars by 2025. This radical reinvention is exactly what is needed to stave off a challenge from Tesla (TSLA) and a band of upstarts from California and China that are building for an electric future.

The upbeat slogan belies the more critical tone to the proceedings as attendees and consumers realize the darker side of tech’s biggest companies. Issues like regulation, privacy, fake news and the rise of xenophobic nationalism will highlight the second day, as executives such as Facebook Inc.’s Sheryl Sandberg and BMW AG’s Harald Krueger take the stage. Time stamps are local for Munich.

The days of unlimited speeding on Germany's famously fast Autobahns could be over if the government adopts a series of draft proposals on climate protection put forward by its committee on the future of transport. Charged with coming up with recommendations on reducing the environmental harm caused by transport, the committee also proposed fuel tax hikes and electric vehicle quotas to help Germany finally meet European Union emissions targets.

The Detroit auto show aims to bring a fresh start to the industry after a bumpy 2018. The event, officially known as the North American International Auto Show, will spend the next two weeks doing what it has done for more than a century: Show off the latest car models. Among the new vehicles in the spotlight this year are a Toyota Supra sports car and a large Cadillac crossover, called the XT6.

German carmakers on Wednesday warned of fatal consequences if Britain left the European Union without a divorce deal, predicting job losses in Britain and Europe and urging lawmakers to redouble efforts to ensure tariff-free trade can continue. British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal to leave the EU suffered an overwhelming defeat in parliament on Tuesday, leaving the country's future in limbo and manufacturers bracing for their "worst-case scenario", a no-deal Brexit. Britain would suffer most if it lost free trade with European markets since 80 percent of vehicles assembled in the country are exported, mostly to the European Union.

German carmakers on Wednesday warned of fatal consequences if Britain left the European Union without a divorce deal, predicting job losses in Britain and Europe and urging lawmakers to redouble efforts to ensure tariff-free trade can continue. British Prime Minister Theresa May's deal to leave the EU suffered an overwhelming defeat in parliament on Tuesday, leaving the country's future in limbo and manufacturers bracing for their "worst-case scenario", a no-deal Brexit. Britain would suffer most if it lost free trade with European markets since 80 percent of vehicles assembled in the country are exported, mostly to the European Union.

Passenger-car registrations dropped 0.04 percent to 15.6 million vehicles in the European Union and European Free Trade Association, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Key InsightsCarmakers battled mounting hurdles in 2018, prompting many including Daimler AG and BMW AG to cut profit targets. Concerns for a disorderly Brexit have gotten worse and economic growth is slowing in Germany, the region’s biggest market.“We are increasingly cautious on the region,” Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said in a note that updated an EU 2019 auto forecast to a 1 percent decline, citing weak industrial orders in Germany and eroding EU consumer confidence.

German conservative leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday accused environmental organisations of mounting "crusades" against diesel vehicles and said that driving bans threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“We’re open to talk, if there are concrete topics and it’s a win-win situation,” Ola Kallenius told reporters in Las Vegas this week. Global automakers have stepped up alliances and collaboration projects in recent years, overcoming deep rivalries, to stem record investments in electric and self-driving cars as well as new digital services like ride-hailing. Daimler, maker of the world’s bestselling luxury-car brand Mercedes-Benz, is currently merging its car-sharing offerings with German peer BMW AG to boost scale.

Today we'll look at Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (FRA:BMW) and reflect on its potential as an investment. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the
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The BMW-owned luxury nameplate posted annual sales of 4,107, a rise of 22 per cent, after the introduction of its flagship Phantom vehicle and the launch of its first sport utility vehicle, the Cullinan. Ultra-wealthy buyers in the US, spurred by tax cuts, helped its North American sales to reach record levels, accounting for a third of sales, chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said. Mr Müller-Ötvös said the brand was also profitable, but declined to give details until BMW Group reports annual results.

Mercedes-Benz sold 2.31 million passenger cars last year, likely enough to make it the top-selling premium automotive brand in 2018, although some analysts are questioning how much longer German manufacturers can dominate the luxury car industry. BMW (BMWG.DE), Audi (NSUG.DE) and Daimler-owned (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz have held sway in the market for high-performance limousines for decades, but analysts warn a shift towards electric and self-driving cars could open the door to new challengers, such as U.S. manufacturer Tesla (TSLA.O).

Mercedes-Benz sold 2.31 million passenger cars last year, likely enough to make it the top-selling premium automotive brand in 2018, although some analysts are questioning how much longer German manufacturers can dominate the luxury car industry. BMW (BMWG.DE), Audi (NSUG.DE) and Daimler-owned (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz have held sway in the market for high-performance limousines for decades, but analysts warn a shift toward electric and self-driving cars could open the door to new challengers, such as U.S. manufacturer Tesla (TSLA.O).

Chinese-funded electric vehicle manufacturer Byton is seeking to raise at least $500 million to finance growth, valuing the nearly three-year-old company at more than $4 billion, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The latest round of fundraising comes as China's government promotes new energy vehicles (NEVs), a category comprising battery-powered and plug-in battery-petrol hybrid cars, to help reduce air pollution and support high technology development. Byton is keen to primarily attract foreign investors in its latest fundraising and the proceeds will be mainly used to finance the mass production of its first premium electric SUV vehicle - Byton M-Byte and research and development, one of the sources said on condition of anonymity as discussions are still private.

The Tesla chief executive officer shared an article Thursday written by a Forbes contributor that incorrectly said Tesla had become America’s No. 1 premium auto company. Forbes has since amended the story and clarified that the earlier version had compared Tesla’s global deliveries with U.S.-only sales for Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz, BMW AG’s namesake brand and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus.

Almost a third of new cars sold in Norway last year were pure electric, a new world record as the country strives to end sales of fossil-fueled vehicles by 2025. In a bid to cut carbon emissions and air pollution, Norway exempts battery-driven cars from most taxes and offers benefits such as free parking and charging points to hasten a shift from diesel and petrol engines. The independent Norwegian Road Federation (NRF) said on Wednesday that electric cars rose to 31.2 percent of all sales last year, from 20.8 percent in 2017 and just 5.5 percent in 2013, while sales of petrol and diesel cars plunged.

Almost a third of new cars sold in Norway last year were pure electric, a new world record as the country strives to end sales of fossil-fueled vehicles by 2025, the independent Norwegian Road Federation said on Wednesday. Electric cars rose to 31.2 percent of all sales from 20.8 percent in 2017 and just 5.5 percent in 2013, while sales of petrol and diesel cars plunged. Norway grants big tax breaks for electric cars as part of a policy to cut emissions.

Talks between the German government and carmakers about updating exhaust emissions filtering systems on older diesel cars to avoid vehicle bans are ongoing, a transport ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday. ...

Take the case of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. The Hong Kong-listed company has lost 53 percent of its value since news broke earlier this year that BMW AG was taking a majority stake in their joint venture. Average daily unit sales rose 18 percent from a year earlier in the first two weeks of December, amid an auto market where demand has been plummeting. BMW Brilliance, which already makes some models solely for China, plans to produce more vehicles locally and import fewer.

Asia Pacific M&A volumes clocked their second-highest level on record this year and dealmakers are optimistic the momentum will persist into 2019, with inbound deals into China emerging as a strong theme amid political and macroeconomic headwinds. Japan, India and Australia are expected to drive deal flow for the region, while China is likely to change course to focus on industrial consolidation and reform amid tightened regulatory scrutiny and an ongoing trade war with the United States that has roiled markets worldwide.